A 24-hour 7-Eleven is scheduled to open June 3 at the former Kress building, 201 W. Commerce St., though the opening time is undetermined. The store will offer sandwiches, hot dogs, pizza, wings, fruit cups, pastries and coffee (including blueberry flavor), and is aimed at downtown workers and dwellers. “There’s something for everyone,” said Gilbert […]
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From this superstitious Spurs fan to those couple of dozen who cruised Commerce Street on Tuesday night, I implore you: knock it off with the honking already. For the love of a fifth championship ring, please refrain from applying pressure to your steering wheels’ middle parts. I will buy you beer to not jinx this […]
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Juice Central, a mecca for artisan juices, smoothies, salads, herbal teas, oatmeal and “wellness shots,” is now open in the circa-1891 Stevens Building, 315 E. Commerce St. The minimalist interior is clean. Four LED screens display the menu on the far wall. Between you and the screens is the juice station. In kitchen-metal pans there […]
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The 100 block of West Commerce Street, once one of the vibrant spots in the center of town, has the potential for a massive comeback, thanks to one downtown property owner. Last year, Chris Hill, owner of the Esquire Tavern on the same block, purchased the long-vacant Sullivan Bank and MIC buildings at Commerce and […]
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Attention juicers — of the healthy kind, and not Lance Armstrong — the properly-named Juice Central is set to open in the Stevens Building, 315 E. Commerce St., in early February. “All our products are made out of fruits and veggies,” said Zulekha Salyani, who is opening the shop with her husband, Shahir. “There’s no […]
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BENJAMIN OLIVO/mySA.com Updated with CVS comment. One thing’s certain: On the Half Shell, the bar/nightclub at 202 Navarro St., has closed. Its last night of service was Saturday. Its replacement tenant is what’s uncertain. On Saturday, a Facebook post by On the Half Shell said that CVS Caremark had purchased the building and was moving […]
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Chris Hill, owner of the Esquire Tavern, said this week that he has purchased the long-vacant Sullivan Bank and MIC buildings at 151 and 155 E. Commerce Streets, respectively. Collectively, they also are known as the fish market, in reference to the Alamo Fish Market, one of the last known tenants. Hill, along with Douglas […]
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The purpose of the open house at 201 W. Commerce St., a longtime Kress store, was to match property owner B-Y Properties with potential tenants. The event attracted about 300 people to the 30,000-square-foot building Tuesday for an evening of free Freetail beer; finger food by Ming’s Thing; artwork by Rex Hausmann, David Almaguer and […]
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Whataburger has applied for a permit to expand its restaurant at 412 E. Commerce St. “We are expanding the dining area to better serve our downtown customers,” James Turcotte, senior vice president of real estate at Whataburger, said in a statement. “Pending approval of the permit, we hope to be under construction soon and have […]
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Slurpee! The announcement last year that 7-Eleven was moving back in to the Alamo City was most welcome news for those of us with a craving for the popular frozen drink. Now, it’s somewhat official for downtown. 7-Eleven has signed a lease to occupy 2,500 square feet of space in the former Kress building at […]
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A version of this column ran in the Express-News on Nov. 10, 2012 Penner’s, the men’s clothing store on West Commerce famous for its enormous collection of guayaberas, might as well exist on an island. The glory days of west downtown as a retail and cultural hub are long gone, and there isn’t much retail […]
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The city’s public works department is mulling over converting Commerce Street (starting at Interstate 37) into a two-way street. The idea arose from a series of Mayor Julian Castro-led meetings about East Side revitalization. Some stakeholders argue a two-way Commerce Street would help direct people to St. Paul’s Square, it’s surrounding businesses, effectively better connecting the East Side to downtown.
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